Curved Cottonwood Copse

(click any pic for larger view)

I've always loved this little stand of cottonwood trees at the "Five-Mile Park" east of Miami; they're bent and bowed, but have managed to remain upright in the soft sandy soil along Red Deer Creek.



These two are like an old married couple; tired of trying to fight the breeze, they've just decided to lean the same way and -ahem- sway together. -grin-

The trees are at an angle where someone--someone much younger than me--could climb their way up to the top.

And here's my ubiquitous, artsy, vertigo-arousing shot:

I call it: "Bark up the long tree"



And, I got another "Sun Through Cottonwoods" shot, very nearly the same as the other.



Both are equally bad, I think.

More Horses

Took a little road trip down to Miami and points beyond and couldn't resist taking some more horse photos. There was a herd of about eight just past the cemetery but these were the closest.

I parked, got out and walked over to the fenceline, but was ignored for a minute or two.

Curiosity got the better of a couple and they came over to investigate.



A quick nip showed who was boss, and soon it was just me and the boss.



They were really pretty, very healthy looking. I don't know much about horseflesh (or about much at all, having no horse sense) but these are being cared for very well.



Today was very hot, right at 100 deg. The fields were fairly green and lush because of the recent rains.

Got down on my knees to take a shot looking up at him with the beautiful cloudy sky in the background... and he came down with me, eye-to-eye.

"Hey dude, what are you doin'?"



He wasn't mean and he's one of the few horses I've photographed that act like they're disappointed I have a camera in my hand instead of a bridle. He even tolerated me petting him, but I'm always so tentative, I think they can sense my fear. I don't care, I want to keep my fingers, the ol' drillin' rigs didn't get any of 'em.

They're beautiful creatures.

They're yellow, I'm sure of that...

I *think* these are Engelmann daisies, according to a Texas wildflower website.

Scientific Name: (Engelmannia pinnatifida)
Definition: Part of the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae), the Engelmann daisy is a favorite for grazing with livestock and much of the plant has been eaten out of the grasslands, prairies and savannah that makes up so much of Texas. Grows upright to spreading with stems stout and woody, one to several. Flower heads 1-2" across, usually 8 petals. Flowers found few to several ending in clusters. Grows in all parts of state except Northeast. Blooms February - November.

On the other hand, they may very well be:

Damianita

Scientific Name: (Chrysactinia mexicana)
Definition: Damianita is a strongly scented, leafy shrub growing 1 - 2 feet. Flowers are golden yellow, 1 inch across on slender stems at the end of branches. Blooms June - October.

Both look very much alike to me, but it has more petals than what the first one described.

Taken on a dirt road just off of Hwy 60 in front of the Arrington ranch house (now a bed and breakfast). Some of the scenes from the Tom Hanks movie Cast Away were filmed there. (photos of that to follow!)

Treat Me Right - Grace Potter & the Nocturnals

Chain Chain Chain

Chain of fools.

Well, ONE fool, that's me.

I have so much stuff in my garage, I can't get to my lawnmower. (Doofus move # 45,689 this year) I got Dad's mower, but I guess it sat so long the gas varnished up the line because it never ran very well.

So, I bought a new one; not a nice one, just a Wal-Mart special, 125 bucks. Since I couldn't put it in the garage, I have been storing it on my front porch. I had a brand new gas can w/ a couple gallons of gas in it sitting by it and someone stole it the other day.

So, back out to WM I went and purchased ten foot of chain and a padlock. The chain is now wrapped around a corner post and through the handles of the gas can and the lawnmower.

Funny thing though, the gas can disappeared the same day the young thugs and their parents moved out just down the street.

Anyway, that's why I haven't posted to this blog...I've been angry as hell. I need to chain up my emotions. *sigh*

15 Seconds of Fame

15 Seconds of TV Fame, but 24 hrs. of online fame, not really a lot of difference.

Submitted a Horny Toad photo, cropped some, to an Amarillo TV station's website and it was selected as the Photo of the Day; they even showed it on the five o'clock news and mentioned my name. It was funny because I had the subtitles on and it spelled out my last name in an amusing manner. (I'm used to it by this stage of my life, and it used to be annoying but these days I just try to see the humor in it)

I had someone come to the door just a minute before it started, so I didn't get to see all fifteen seconds of the spot. The female anchor said something about Texas Aggies, so a joke must have been made about TCU.

(TCU was interested in me as a football player back when I was a senior in h.s.; I once got a standard form letter from them addressed to: "Dear Athlete,". They really weren't too interested in semi-mediocre-sized fish in teensy-tiny ponds that played 8-Man football.)

Anyway, missed 3/4 of the program. Wished I'd taped it...

Nah, not really.

Here's a screenshot from the KVII Community section:



I'm a little worried about my "real name" being "out there" (you're not paranoid if someone really IS out to get you, you know) but I doubt Interpol watches Texas Panhandle television.

I've found my newest obsession: Submitting photos to KVII until they block my ISP or get a restraining order against me.